Thursday, March 15

Bulgur's 15 Minutes of Fame

Catastrophe struck the other day. My kitchen drain backed up into the bathtub. Unfortunately the last thing I had cooked and washed down the sink was beets. Do you know what a white bathtub filled with red beet juice and bits of floating beet looks like? Let’s just say what follows will NOT be a recipe involving beets.

I’m truly dangerous with power tools (even the Cuisinart is off limits for me), so I called the plumber. The guy who showed up looked like your typical plumber—clean cut, with a baseball hat and sturdy boots. He began snaking the kitchen pipe, and I went into the next room. Minutes later, I could hear emanating from under the kitchen sink: “Nothing you can do cause I’m stuck like glue to my guy, my guy.”Is he singing “My Guy”? “No handsome face could ever take the place of my guy, my gu-y-y-y.” Yup. He sure is. The rendition continued replete with the backup chorus.

Now, I’ve heard of The Singing Detective but not the singing plumber. I got to talking to him, and it turns out he’s more than a singing plumber. I learned that he really wants to write science fiction novels and that plumbing just pays the bills. That’s the thing about L.A. -- so many people here aren’t what they seem. You think the plumber is just the plumber, but he’s an aspiring writer. Or take my cable guy who told me that his real vocation is poker and that he had even appeared on ESPN in a championship poker series. Then there was the shuttle bus driver who animatedly described attending a Donald Trump seminar. He said driving allowed him to pursue his real career goal: real estate.

So many people living here aspire to something else, which got me to thinking. Are they, in their constant search for something better, setting themselves up for disappointment? Or, are they the embodiment of the entrepreneurial spirit, which makes this area so dynamic? Perhaps in a city, renown for glamour and celebrity, it’s reflective of a desire to capture that elusive 15 minutes of fame.

Who knows what will happen to any of them or to us. What I do know, is that since moving here, my house calls have gotten a lot more interesting.

Since I couldn’t use my sink until the following morning, my dinner options were slim. This bulgur salad was made from common ingredients in my pantry and fridge and didn’t require any cooking. And you gotta love that!

In case you’re not familiar with bulgur, it’s a chewy, nutty grain that’s ideal for vegetarians because it’s super high in fiber and protein and gets along well with so many veggies, fruits, nuts, and herbs. So, feel free to experiment with whatever is in your pantry.

In a small saucepan, bring water to a boil; add bulgur, and return to a boil. Reduce heat to low, cover, and cook for about 15 minutes, or until water is absorbed and bulgur is soft. Place cooked bulgur in a bowl and add remaining ingredients; toss well to coat.

On a morning walk this week, this bold rose camellia caught my attention. It was right at eye level, staring at me. I don't know exactly what it is, but here is its 15 minutes of fame. That is unless someone picks it up on Digg, and it really makes it big-time.

That plumber story had me rocking off my chair. I love LA. One very good friend of mine who also lives in LA is a Tour Guide in real life but aspiring to make and sell her own cosmetic line! Susan, I could really kick myself! I was grocery shopping today and had bulgur in my hand. But then I out it back on the shelf and decided to go with risotto rice instead. That salad sounds too good NOT to make.

Another fabulous story! I love great stories and writing almost as much--and sometimes more--than the food and recipes that go with them.

Bulgur reminds me of another wheat product with similarly great nutritional benefits: Kasha. Made from buckwheat groats, kasha is an Eastern European staple that can be prepared numerous ways, including vegetarian friendly. My wife cooks this wonderful, nutty grain every Thanksgiving [and more often, when we remember it]. I had her do a post about it last Thanksgiving.

Susan, you and your witty texts, fabulous recipes and stunning photos are always a sight for sore eyes!I had a miserable day at work today and this salad just picked me up.I've never had bulgut but it looks delicious!

I am really liking the new site design (I've been away from the blog world for a week so I'm not sure when it happened!) as well as the funny post on the plumber/LA. I also absolutely *love* bulgur. I could eat it hot, cold, as a main dish, or as a side to anything. Bulgur is my "superfood"! What an interesting recipe, and that photo makes me want to run to the kitchen to try it. I'm interested now to pair bulgur with mint and ginger...

Susan, I can't help but thinking that most of us food bloggers are a lot like that bus driver, cable guy, or plumber insofar as we work to live, but we cook, eat, and write because those things are our true passions. I have to admit to having tried bulgur on only a handful of occasions, and it is not necessarily my favourite grain. I am, however, a huge fan of both cranberries and chick peas, so I would certainly like to try your salad. Sorry to hear about your plumbing. Hope all's well now.

Linda- It is one of my favorite grains. I can eat it for breakfast, lunch, or dinner. Thanks.

Cookiecrumb- Ugh. That's worse than a bathtub.

Sher- It's always the red and orange foods, isn't it?

Brilynn- Thanks. I go through phases as well.

Asha- I hope you post your recipe; I'd love to see it.

Meeta- Thanks. You can't really go wrong with risotto either.

TerryB- What a kind thing to say. Thank you. I will look for your kasha post. I love that grain as well.

Patricia- Receiving comments like yours is the best part of blogging. I have felt the same way about you. Thanks.

Texas vegan- Thank you. I'm glad you had a chance to stop by.

Rachael- Thank you. I can eat it anytime as well. The mint and ginger really makes it sparkle.

TW- I am glad you enjoy them. Let's see what other grains I can induce you to buy. Now if only the bulgur people would give me endorsements...

Anh- I'm so glad you liked it.

Valentina- I am sorry about the technical difficulty. You are a sweetheart for coming back.

Rob- The plumbing is fine; it was the tub that took hours to clean to my satisfaction. I still can't get the smell of Clorox out of my nose. I appreciate and agree with your comment.

Shirley- Thanks. It's true. I am secretly hoping that some Hollywood/Bollywood exec. will discover me and want to make a movie about me and my cooking exploits. Now who would play Jeff? I'm thinking George Clooney. ;)

Ellie- Thanks. It's true, I probably would not have posted on this salad had it not been for faulty plumbing.

hey u shud write story books...u are good at it.If madonna can do it i think u have better chances.I love bulgur wheat.better known as tabbouleh.Geat for a diet.Can do can do a million different things with it.like your variation.

oh my. what an awful thing to have to deal with. too bad the last thing down the drain wasn't oatmeal and you could have turned the experience into a soothing bath ;) and i love love love bulgur, its so simple and versitile...

Yikes! I'm imagining that scene from Psycho, except instead of a shower it's a bathtub. Not a nice thought! hehe

I think it's great that they have all these ambitions, something to keep them going everyday, in their 'mundane' lives. I've always believed in expecting the worst but hoping for the best, that way there's less chance of disappointment. Of course, that's usually easier said than done.

Cranberries! Almonds! Bulgur! I think I might go home and block up my sink so that I can be similarly inspired :) And re. people not beign what they seem, I have also learned to watch out for that in London. Because we have such a large itinerant/immigrant population, people often end up doing jobs that have nothing to do with their qualifications/ability. I got into a long chat about a year ago with one of our doormen of our office building - he's from Zambia so we already had a common African link. Turns out that he came to London to do a PhD in economics and is doing this to pay the bills. I make a point never to pigeonhole anybody by the job they do!!